1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an unlatchable data cable plug with a latching tongue as well as to a method for quick and space-saving unlocking of a data cable plug having a latching tongue.
2. Description of Related Art
For securing plugs inside sockets, particularly for data cables, plug elements are commonly provided with a springy-elastic latching tongue, which in its front part has a snap-in locking device for engagement with a corresponding engagement device located inside a socket, so that when the latching tongue is released, the snap-in locking devices of socket and latching tongue are brought in mesh and secure the plug inside the socket, protecting it against pulling out. When the latching tongue is pushed down, the engagement is released, the interlock of plug and socket is opened and the plug can be pulled out. However, latching tongues have the disadvantage of being located in close proximity to the socket and in places difficult to access, so that pushing down the latching tongue and pulling out the plug takes some effort and time. Especially when the connection density is high, pulling out a single plug secured by a latching tongue is problematic and results in disproportionally high effort. What is more, latching tongues have been prone to showing mechanical weakness and could even break or get otherwise damaged, which leads to even bigger problems when it comes to separating the plug from the socket.
From the German Utility Model DE 20 2004 019 870 U1, a plug with a latching tongue for a data cable is known, in which, after assembly, the front section of the data cable as well as the front plug elements are encapsulated with plastic material, wherein this rear plastic material encapsulation comprises a forward-facing protective arm for the latching tongue of the front plug element. Such a protective arm also supports handling of the latching tongue. The disadvantage of such a plug with a rear plastic material encapsulation which is carrying a forward-facing protective arm for the latching tongue of the plug element is that, in practical use, the forward-facing latching tongue protective arm of the rear plastic material encapsulation often “creeps” below the backward-facing latching tongues of the front plug element. When this happens, it becomes either impossible to push down the latching tongue of the front plug element, or this is only possible to a limited extent or with some difficulty, thus making unlocking the plug either impossible or only possible with some effort.
Another plug with a latching tongue is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,335 B1. It has a plug-on kink protection element for a data cable with a conventional strain relief as well as a latching tongue protection element with a plug-on kink protection element. This strain relief leaves some room for further improvement.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,554 B2, a data plug with a modular design is described, in which a latching tongue protection element can be pushed on top of the plug. Here, too, a conventional cable strain relief is necessary, resulting in disadvantages with regard to robustness as well as in insufficiently stable transmission performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,457 B1 comprises an encapsulation with a cast-on kink protection element as well as an encapsulated snap-in nose protection element, wherein the snap-in nose protection element has to be elaborately inserted into the mold before the encapsulation is manufactured. This results in considerable production costs.
German Patent DE 199 53 494 C1 teaches a data cable plug with a one-piece encapsulation without any snap-in nose protection, making the snap-in nose of the plug prone to getting caught and being severed.
German Patent Application DE 10 2006 035 724 B4, a multi-piece plug for a data cable with a front plug element including a latching tongue, a front sub-body attached to the front end of the data cable by means of an encapsulation to achieve a high tensile strength; a rear sub-body in the form of a plug-on tubular body with a forward-facing latching tongue protection element and in the back a flexible kink protection element for the data cable; and a plug element protruding in forward direction from the front sub-body and having a backward-facing latching tongue has become known, wherein the front area of the latching tongue protection element at least partially projects from the top surface of the rear area of the latching tongue. This plug is easy to manufacture, but has the disadvantage that it can only be pulled out with some difficulty from sockets that are located at places difficult to access.